Life saving device



Sept. 8, 1931. D. WARD 1,822,120

LIFE SAVING DEVICE Filed March 5, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN TOR. $006045 h/qeo A TTORNE YS.

Sept. 8, 1931. WARD 1,822,120

LIFE SAVING' DEVICE Filed March 5, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Tic]. E1.

INVENTOR- $00 1.45 M420 A TTORNE YS.

Sept. 8, 1931. D. WARD 1,822,120 v LIFE SAVING'DEVIGE Filed March 5, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 3,

' INVENTOR.

00061445 lMw/eo ATTORNEYS.

Sept. 8, 1931. D. WARD LIFE SAVING DEVICE Filed March 5. 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IIIIIIIIIIIII MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII/ Ill IN VEN TOR.

Deva/15 W420 BY A TTORNE YS.

Patented Sept. 8, 1931 UNITED STATES DOUGLAS WARD. or GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA LIFE SAVING DEVICE Application filed March 5,

My invention relates to life saving devices.

The invention is particularly directed to means for use in connection with marine vessels, and has for an object the provision of certain mechanisms and instrumentalities for rapidly'launching lifeboats upon the waters of the sea at the time of disaster to the vessel.

An important object of the invention resides in the provision of launching means which is positively acting, regardless of the listing angle assumed by the vessel in the water. i

A further object of the invention is to provide launching means which can be actuated quickly and which will function to safely dispatch passengers away from a vessel that is in distress.

Another object of the invention is to provide-mechanism that will automatically and instantly launch a lifeboat, raft or the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide'a lifesaving device having a launching platform mounted for vertical movement so that it can be rapidly lowered to a position below the surface of the water, which said platform is provided with means to then instantly launch a lifeboat or other suitable life saving raft or structure.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a lifesaving device adapted to travel vertically and which includes mechanism whereby the said platform can be tilted so as to assumea horizontal position, regardless of whether the vessel is listing to the port or starboard side or whether the vessel is sinking at either the fore .or the aft end.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the invention;

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation thereof, showing the position of the partswhen lashed to the side of the vessel;

Figure 3 is a view in vertical section showing the parts unlashedfrom the vessel;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, taken on the line 55 of Figure 5;

Figure 5 is a front view on an enlarged scale of the invention;

'13. This platform is provided with fold- 1930. Serial no. 433,429.

Figure 6 is-a vertical section on line 6-6 of Figure 4;

. Figure 7 is a perspective view ofthe loading device;

Figure 8 is a section .on line 88 of Figure 5. p

In carrying the invention into practice, use is made ofa member 10 which is somewhat in the nature of a pendulum, the same formed of metal and pivoted at 11 to the side ofthe vessel A, the member terminating at its opposite end ata point approximately on a line with the deck B. The said member 10, in view of its pivotal mounting 11, is adapted to swing, respectively, toward the fore and aft ends of the said vessel. By this, I do not mean that it is intended that the member at any time will be swung to either of the positionsjust described, butI do intend that it be made clear that it moves with respect to thefore and the aft ends, and that this is due to the factv that it is pivoted at its upper end,.as aforementioned, and, .to this extentit is like a pendulum. It tends to normally assume a perpendicular position.

The said member 10-is provided with parallel guide channels 12, 12, which receive the respective vertical edges of a vertically movable platform carrier 13' having a longitudinal series of ratchet teeth 14 adapted to be interchangeably engaged by the edge portion 15 of a brace bar. 16, the latter. hinged at 17 to a launching platform or elevator 18. The said launching platform or elevator is hinged at 19 t0 the upper end of the aforementioned platform carrier 13, where V by the said. platform may be tilted to various angular positions with respect to the deck able side walls 20 and a single end wall 21. These walls are adapted to be adjusted to position at'right'angles to the platform 18, as shown in Figure 4, and the said walls maybe held in position by suitable latches 22, the outward swinging adjustment of the walls 20 being limited ,by stops 20a on the platform 18.

. Carried by the end wall 21 is a draft line 23, the purpose. of which will be explained presently. A draft line 24: has one of its ends connected to the brace bar 16 at a point adjacent the free extremity thereof.

The purpose of this draft line willalso be referred to as the description advances.

Also upon reference to Figure 3, it will be observedthat the platform carrier 13 has connected thereto a draft line 25. In Figure 3, it is observed that the said draft line 25 extends over the deck B of the vessel A and same is wrapped around a winch 26 of any well-known construction, which will function to permit the said line to be paid out or taken in at the will of the operator.

Referring to Figure 2 of the drawings, it will be noted that the walls 20 and 21 of the platform 18 are folded upon themselves. They occupy, approximately, positions in parallelism, and they are flatwise with respect to the platform 18, so thatthe entire structure is reduced to a very compact package. The position of the parts shown in Figure 2 is what can be aptly referred to as the normal position, at which time a lash line 27 upon the deck B is wrapped one or more times about the structure, in order that the structure may be maintained in the position shown in Figure 2, where convenient access can be had thereto from the deck B whenever the structure is to be called into play. In unlashing the line 27, the structure, by its own weight, instantly as sumes a perpendicular position, as shown in Figure 3. However, it should be noted that after the structure assumes its fully perpendicular position the walls 20 and 21 have been adjusted to positions at right angles to the platform 18 and firmly latched together. This will be appreciated upon reference to Figure 3. It will now be noted that the draft line 23 has been manually adjusted to a position where it extends over the deck B, where it may be grasped and pull applied thereto, in order that the platform 18 may be tilted to a position of hori- Zontal adjustment, as shown in Figure 1. It will be further noted that the draft line 24 extends over the deck B, where it too may be manipulated, in order to rock the brace bar 16 on its pivot during the act .of associating the free edge 15 of the bar with a selected one of the teeth on said platform carrier 13. When this last step is accomplished, the platform 18 is in a position of horizontal adjustment, so that its inner end merges onto the deck B where it acts very much as a gang plank, enabling persons on the deck to walk from the latter onto the said platform and vice versa.

At the respective sides of the member 10 and adjacent to the upper end thereof are brackets 28, each carrying a chain 29 or similar flexible means adapted to co-act with a clevis or securing device 30 on the deck of the vessel. When the said chains are connected with their respective securing devices 30, it follows that the member 10 is held against turning on its pivot 11. If the chain toward the stern of the vessel is released, the said member 10 is free to move in the direction of the bow of the vessel. These movements are necessary in order that the member lOmay be permitted to assume a proper perpendicular position so that it will accommodate itself to angularities of the vessel should it be sinking either bow first or stern first. These movements, together with the fact that the platform 18 is intended to turn on a horizontal axis, allow for all prevailing conditions that might manifest themselves when the vessel is in distress. The platform 18, without regard to the listing angle of the vessel, which may tilt the deck B either to the starboard or to the port side, will always assume a proper horizontal position, affording the greatest measure of stability to passengers supported thereby.

(ln reference to Figure 5, it will be noticed that the end of the member 10 remote from its pivot 11 is formed with stop lugs 31 adapted to engage with similar lugs 32 on the platform carrier 13, thereby limiting the movement of the latter in one direction.

Scparable from the platform 18 is a trans ferring device 33 provided at its ends with brackets 34 bifurcated at 35. In Figures 1, 4 and 6, a lifeboat 36 is illustrated, and the bow and stern ends thereof are provided with hooks 37 adapted to be received in the bifurcations 35 in the respective brackets 34. lVhile I have shown a lifeboat of the character generally incorporated in lifesaving equipment, any suitable well-known lifesaving structure may be substituted therefor, such as a raft or a pontoon or other buoyant body which will tend when brought into contact with the surface of the water of the seat to take thereto or to be cast thereupon at thetime of lowering the platform 18 into the water. Reference should be taken particularly to Figures 5 and 6, which show that when the lifeboat 36 is in the position ready to be lowered into the water the walls 20 and 21 serve as guards for the passengers occupying the vessel and they function to obliterate the hazardousness of the water from the eyes of the passengers during the entire time necessary to the lowering of the boat 36 into the water, thus taking away many of the horrors usually attendant the launching of life rafts into the seas.

I have now referred rather minutely to the several characterizing features of the invention and reference to its operation during the launching of a lifeboat will now be made as follows: It should be first borne in mind that the transferring device 33 may be freely slid or propelled over the deck of the vessel A before its lifeboat 36 has been filled with passengers. Now, it will be appreciated why I have previously stated the platform may be turned to a position of horizontal adjustment where it acts much as a gang plank extending away from the deck of the vessel and coming approximately flush with the edge of the deck, and it follows therefrom that members of the crew of the vessel can quickly and conveniently translate the device 33 onto the platform 18 of the launching mechanism, where it will occupy the position clearly shown in full lines in Figure 4. In this figure the vessel A is listing to the port side and the platform 18 has been turned to its intended position of horizontal adjustment. The brace bar 16 has been engaged with its appropriate tooth of the platform carrier 13 and in consequence thereof the platform is able to adequately sustain a calculated load to be thrust thereupon when the lifeboat has been transferred from the deck B to said platform and then loaded with passengers. The winch 26 is now actuated so as to pay out the draft line 25, thus permitting the platform 18 under the weight of its supported load to descend into the waters of the sea, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 4:. In this operation, the platform is lowered to a point sufficiently be low the Water line in order to get clearance between the guard walls 20 and 21 and the keel of the life-saving boat 36. As the water of the sea contacts with the hull of the boat 36, it manifestly follows that the boat gradually takes to the water until it has been entirely cleared from the launching platform and the adjuncts thereof and firmly launched into the sea. The lifeboat is thus propelled or pushed away from the platform, so as not to interfere with the return movement of the latter for repetition of the performance just referred to.

The vessel A may be provided with as many of the launching devices as may be necessary to take care of a given number of passengers. It may be mentioned that no matter what listing angle the vessel A may assume in the water the platform 18 of each launching device may be made to assume a horizontal position. The listing to the port side, as shown in Figure 45, will not in any manner interfere with an adjustment of a like lifesaving device on the starboard side of the vessel A. The platforms 18 on the starboard side, and the corresponding ones on the port side, may constantly assume horizontal positions from the stem to the stern of the vessel.

By mounting the life raft upon the aforementioned portable carrier, so that the raft may freely swing toward the fore and aft ends of the vessel, I provide means whereby the raft will always assume a state of equilibrium as the raft is lowered to the water, thus preventing same from capsizing under its sustained load during the descending movement of the platform. At the same time, I have provided a means which positively results in an automatic release of the life raft when the platform on which it is mounted is lowered beneath the surface of the water.

I claim as my invention:

1. Mechanism of the class described comprising a member adapted to be mounted for swinging movement, a tilting platform mounted to travel on said member, means for setting the platform in motion, means for holding the platform against tilting movement, means for tilting the platform, and means for launching a lifeboat from said mechanism.

2. Mechanism of the class described comprising a tilting member, means slidable 0n the member, a tilting platform on said sliding means, means for moving the sliding means, means for latching the platform to the sliding means to hold the platform in a position of selected angular adjustment, and means for holding the sliding means in a position of selected adjustment.

3. Mechanism of the class described comprising a platform, means for mounting the platform for tilting movements angularly with respect to the deck of a vessel and the fore and aft ends of the latter, means for casting the platform into the water, and means co-acting with the platform for separable connection with a buoyant lifesaving device so that the latter will be launched into the water from one adjusted position of the platform.

41. The combination, with a vessel, of a vertically movable elevator occupying a position outwardly of the gunwale thereof and including a gravitating platform, means for respectively controlling ascending and descending movements of the platform, means for mounting the platform for angular movement relative to the deck of the vessel, means for tilting the platform, means for holding the platform in a position of tilted adjustment, and means turnable around a horizontal axis for hanging the platform from the side of the vessel.

5. Mechanism of the class described comprising vertically traveling launching means, means carried thereby for separable connection with a lifeboat, and means for mounting the traveling means for tilting movements upon a marine vessel, in respective directions toward the fore and aft ends of the latter.

DOUGLAS WARD. 

